"We hope to, in time, identify the underlying causes and methods of disease prevention in humans."īetter insight into monotreme biology, or the biology of mammals that lay eggs, provides a "baseline" for understanding immunity, reproduction and chemoreception, which can further the study of the evolution of human biology. We're learning a lot about mammalian gene regulation and immune systems, which has huge implications for disease susceptibility research," says Batzer. Grants from the National Institutes of Health focused on aspects of genetic disease. "But, in reality, they cause insertions and deletions which can lead to genetic diseases in humans and they are also involved in the creation of new genes and gene families." "These mobile elements were once thought to be so small that they had no function," says Batzer. These elements can influence important evolutionary processes, and we want to know more about them," says Weiss. "DNA contains small 'mobile elements' that make copies of themselves and then are inserted elsewhere into the genome. It maintains some long dated features and, as a result, should provide information on how mammals evolved. The platypus occupies the first branch of the mammalian tree of life after the split from "sauropsids" about 315 million years ago. "Looking at the platypus genome may yield clues about the functions of certain components of DNA and contribute to our understanding of evolution," says Mark Weiss, division director for NSF's behavioral and cognitive sciences. The fact that the platypus is an ancient animal that is relatively primitive and unchanged may be a scientific boon for researchers.Īt least that's the hope of researchers at the National Science Foundation (NSF), who partially funded the study.
Having the genome in hand is a huge step for scientists seeking new details about evolution and human disease. "It appeared much more bird- and reptile-like than mammalian, even though it is indeed classified as a mammal." "Their genomic organization was strange and a little unexpected," says Batzer. It was the first genome sequencing project of a mammal that lays eggs, confirming that platypus DNA also looks like something of a patchwork. Louis, Mo., recently completed the first draft sequence and analysis of the platypus genome. Mark Batzer of Louisiana State University, along with an international group of scientists led by Wes Warren at Washington University in St. Platypus DNA is an equally cobbled-together array of avian, reptilian and mammalian lineages that may hold clues for human disease prevention. Sketches of its appearance were thought to be impossible.īut new research proves that the oddness of the platypus' looks isn't just skin-deep. The curious discovery of the duck-billed, egg-laying, otter-footed, beaver-tailed, venomous platypus in Australia in 1798 convinced British scientists that it must be a hoax. Telephone numbers or other contact information mayīe out of date please see current contact information at media This material is available primarily for archival Platypus DNA is a combination of reptiles, birds and mammals.
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